Growing youth movement for gun reforms could finally tip the balance

Donna Biederman, bottom right, gets emotional while listening to speeches during a gun control rally in front of the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. Students, community members, elected officials and gun control advocates gathered together to call for firearm safety legislation in the wake of the school shooting that left 17 people dead and 15 others injured this past Wednesday in Parkland, Fla.(Photo: Nicole Raucheisen/Naples Daily News)

When it comes to adopting common-sense gun laws, a majority of elected officials, especially at the federal level, have long ignored any and every voice.

Families of victims in gun deaths, specifically mass shootings. Their friends. Moms. Dads. Grandparents. Law enforcement. Clergy. Even many supporters of the Second Amendment. You name the group and a majority of lawmakers have tuned out their voices and rejected their views. For decades.

Here's hoping a growing youth movement can change that.

Arising from the tragic school shooting Feb. 14 in Parkland, Florida, there is an undeniable wave of momentum growing among many young Americans to push elected officials to take actions that reduce school shootings.

Across the nation, students already have held protests, organized marches and walked out of classes to raise awareness.

More events are planned. Locally, Apollo High School is planning a vigil for Friday. Statewide, students from several high schools have indicated via the group Women's March Youth Empower they will take part in the #Enough National School Walkout at 10 a.m. March 14.

On March 24, the nationwide student organization March for Our Lives is planning a march in Washington, D.C., to push Congress to do something. And another national walkout is being planned for April 20, the 19th anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.

Protesters gathered outside of the Florida Capitol Building, Wednesday, in support of gun reform. The protest comes one week after the shooting in Parkland, Fla. at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, that left 17 people dead.(Photo: Andrew Salinero, USA TODAY NEWORK)

For this wave of momentum to truly grow into a tidal wave that can foment change, though, all those other voices who elected officials already have ignored must join with these young Americans.

Combined, they must move from marches and rallies to advocating for legislative changes and, of course, backing candidates for elected office who will make it a priority to craft and implement common-sense reforms.

What does that mean?

For starters, and as this board has stated many times, it does not mean dismantling the Second Amendment. Rather, a handful of key proposals should be adopted. Examples include:

• The long-proposed plan to require background checks for all gun purchases online and at gun shows. It's not the perfect answer alone. But it is a needed addition to existing laws.

• Ban accessories that can turn semi-automatic weapons into automatics.

• Congress must ramp up resources for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which basically oversees firearms dealings and ownership. News reports since 2010 have noted the ATF resources have remained the same or shrunk while the number of licensed gun dealers has grown. The result: Some gun shops go almost a decade without a federal review.

People visit a makeshift memorial in front of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in, Parkland, Florida on Feb. 20, 2018.(Photo: Cristobal Herrera, EPA-EFE)

• Allow local and state governments more latitude in regulating firearms. Example: The U.S. Supreme Court late in 2015 let stand a Chicago suburb's ban on semiautomatic assault weapons. The justification was the community simply took reasonable steps to protect all residents while still allowing individuals to own guns, whether for protection or recreation.

• Fully fund comprehensive mental health care. No, that's not about guns. But there is no denying that more resources for mental health care could help prevent mass shootings.

Finally, Congress must do more to regulate assault rifles. Should they be banned? As noted previously, Congress from 1994 to 2004 banned certain semi-automatic assault weapons and magazines holding more than 10 rounds. Did it help? Hard to say, but back then America was not averaging one mass shooting a day, either.

Short of a ban, Congress certainly could require intense background checks, mandatory training and even liability insurance for those who want to own and use them.

None of these ideas are new. And national surveys have shown a majority of Americans support many of them. Yet a majority of elected officials, especially in Congress, continue to ignore them.

How many more students will have to be killed in schools before those lawmakers actually try to protect kids instead of special interests?